Planning a visit to New Caledonia? Take the time to immerse yourself in the archipelago’s rich local Kanak culture. The largest cultural group in New Caledonia, there are so many ways to get to know the Kanak way of life, from tribe visits and homestays to unforgettable events and meals. No matter how you choose to discover this incredible culture, you’ll find that it’s still very much alive!

Horse riding

In New Caledonia, the horse is king. Used for work, casual riding, competitions and more, horses, both wild and domesticated, are as much a part of the local landscape as the region’s other top attractions. There’s even one horse for every 20 people living within the archipelago. With so much incredible scenery just waiting to be discovered, from the mountains to the waterfront, you’ll find that there’s nothing quite like New Caledonia horse riding.

Effortlessly combining the breathtaking beauty of the South Pacific with the elegance of Europe, Nouméa, New Caledonia is a captivating cosmopolitan capital. Lined with magnificent beaches, beautiful waterways and no shortage of breathtaking vantage points, a visit to the New Caledonian capital reveals some of the incredible reasons why this corner of the globe shouldn’t be missed. From engaging cultural attractions to fun activities for the whole family, there’s so much to see and do across the unforgettable oceanside city of Nouméa, New Caledonia.

Encompassing Ouvéa, the Isle of Pines, Lifou, Tiga and Maré, the five islands that border New Caledonia’s main island are a slice of island paradise just waiting to be discovered. From the Blue Hole of Hanawa on Ouvéa and Warrior’s Leap on Maré to the Jokin Cliffs on Lifour and the Isle of Pines’ Oro Bay, New Caledonia’s islands and their incredible natural beauty are nothing short of captivating.

The West Coast of the mainland (Grande Terre) shows off a great variety of scenery from its northern tip down to the area surrounding Nouméa. Characterised by both large spaces favouring cattle farming and a lagoon of stunning beauty, the West Coast is also host to a rich cultural heritage.

The central mountain range of the Mainland (Grande Terre) is a natural boundary, overlooking the very different faces of the East and West Coasts. Exposed to strong winds and therefore more humid, the eastern coast offers scenery with sumptuous flora. With a population of largely Melanesian origin, the East Coast has also retained a particularly charming flavour of authenticity.

The Great South, comprising the Mont-Dore and Yaté municipalities, is the most symbolic region for New Caledonia’s three main colours: blue, green and red. From the rainforest to the mining lands there are a thousand shades of green, while the ocean offers a dazzling palette of blues. But if one colour dominates the Great South, it is the specific red of its ground.

Geography

Surrounded by the vast expanse of the South Pacific, New Caledonia, with a surface area of 18,564 km², lies to the east of Australia and south of the thousands of islands and archipelagos making up Melanesia and Micronesia. The country boasts an amazing diversity of landscapes.

The essential

The range of mountains

The West coast

The East coast

The barrier reef

The Great South

The islands

The Main Island resembles a long tongue of land bisected by a range of mountains running from north to south and rising to two high peaks: Mont Panié (1,628 m) in the North-East and Mont Humboldt (1,618 m) in the South-West.

To the West, the vegetation is tinged with hues of yellow and brown (savannah, niaouli trees), while the more “tropical” East Coast is clothed in the darker green of dense, lush vegetation.

The endless ribbon of the barrier reef encircles the entire Main Island in an almost unbroken line, at a distance of a few nautical miles from the coast. The 1,600 km long barrier reef, the second longest in the world after Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, shelters a lagoon covering a total area of 24,000 km², of which 15,000 km² are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Peridotite masses covered by thick mineral-rich lateritic mantles extend over large areas of the Main Island’s 16,500 km². The fiery red lateritic soil is the source of New Caledonia’s wealth of nickel ore.

To the East, four islands form the Loyalty Islands group: Lifou, Maré, Tiga and Ouvéa. Together with the Isle of Pines to the south, they are perfect island jewels. These are the islands best known to tourists but hundreds of other islands and islets lie dotted around the coastline of New Caledonia.